BEST #FPL BLOG AWARD

Every so often there comes a time in each Fantasy Premier League season when not having a certain player in your team is akin to gross negligence.

Everybody else in your mini-league has them, and so by not selecting these special players you’re simply leaving yourself no chance to make any sort of progress towards the bragging rights that you so dearly crave.

Robin van Persie was that player for the vast majority of last season, whilst there was also a window when Luis Suarez snuck in, and in the opening weeks of this campaign there are two players vying for that star billing.

Daniel Sturridge (£9.2m) and Olivier Giroud (£9.0m) have been in simply stellar form, each scoring a goal in every one of their club’s fixtures so far.

They are strikes which have propelled their clubs to first and second place in the table, and both players will be targeting the net again over weekends which look promising both for them and their teams.

Liverpool’s Sturridge takes on Southampton at Anfield in a match that the Reds will be expecting to win following their unbeaten start to the campaign.

With 17 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions since joining Liverpool from Chelsea last January, Sturridge has been prolific, and in this the last match before Suarez (£10.9m) returns from his ban the forward will be eager to impress once more.

He’ll be joined in the team by Victor Moses (£6.2m) following his goal on his Reds debut in the draw at Swansea, and the pair can create trouble for a Southampton side who’ve won just one of their four games this season heading to Anfield.

Giroud’s Arsenal are also at home, and face a clash with Mark Hughes’ Stoke City on Sunday.

The Welsh boss should be commended for the form his team have shown in their opening to the campaign, with last weekend’s draw with Manchester City ensuring that they are now unbeaten in three since the opening day defeat at Anfield.

Stoke will make life hard for the Gunners, but in Giroud the hosts have a player who is starting to look completely at home in the Premier League.

The Frenchman’s thunder may have been stolen somewhat by the terrific start to the season experienced by Aaron Ramsey (£5.8m), but with Mesut Ozil (£10.0m) primed to shine in his first home game for his new club, service for Giroud looks a given, and in this form he’s likely to take any chances that come his way.

Elsewhere, the weekend’s big game of course comes at the Etihad Stadium, where Fantasy managers might be looking at Wayne Rooney (£10.5m) to produce a repeat of his two goals in last season’s Manchester derby between City and United.

David Moyes’ side haven’t impressed in front of goal in their bigger matches so far this season though, and so those backing a City clean sheet will be looking towards home defender Pablo Zabaleta (£6.3m) to keep Rooney and co quiet. As a bonus, the Argentinean scored in this fixture last season too.

Tottenham’s Gylfi Sigurdsson (£6.9m) goes to Cardiff off the back of his two goals against Norwich last week, whilst the Canaries are involved in Saturday’s early game as they welcome former boss Paul Lambert to a match in which Ricky van Wolfswinkel (£7.0m) will be desperate to find the net.

After a defeat at Everton, Chelsea face a west London derby with Fulham which could see Jose Mourinho start with Fernando Torres (£8.5m) following the failings in front of goal of Samuel Eto’o (£9.0m) at Goodison Park, whilst Eden Hazard (£9.3m) could come into captaincy contention given that he’s played every minute of Chelsea’s league campaign so far.

Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa (£7.2m) hasn’t quite managed that, but he has struck in the Magpies’ last two games heading into their weekend meeting at home to Hull.

The Frenchman is a fine player when on form, and he’s beginning to show that for Alan Pardew’s side, ensuring that he could make the difference for your boys this weekend.